Fire-escape apparatus.



H. FLOEHR.

FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1| Patented Mar. 12, 1918. F #1 I H To. whom it may concern:

Be itjknown that I, HUBERT.

HnBnnrYrLonH-a, or narration, 01am.

FLoErm, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Defiance,'-in the county of-,Defiance, State, of

-"Ohio,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escape Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the followto be a full, clear, and exact description or the-invention, such as will enable others :skilledjn the art to which it appertains to f make and usethe same.

' .This invention relates to safety appliances and is directed more particularly, to fire escape apparatus of improved and novel construction.

, An object of the'present invention resides in the provision of a fire escape apparatus which may be quickly and easily. assembled for use and as readily disassembled, one which will embody the desired features of simplicity, eflici'ency, reliability and convenience, and which 1 in addition may be manufactured and marketed at a relatively low cost. v

A- further object of the invention is to provide a transportable fire escape including an escape chute normally wound upon a drum and adapted to be unwound therefrom and set up in novel manner whereby to provide a, tubular chute having entrance and exit openings, 1

With the above and other objects of similar nature in view, the invention consists in v the construction, combination and arrange ment of parts, set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claim,

I In the drawing Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of the invention 111 position for use, Y

I Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,.

' Fig, 3 is a; detail section .-taken' -trans verselyfthrough the winding drumw1th the escape chute' in' position to be transported, and j Fig. e is a detail perspective of the drum, and a portion of the escape chute, illustrating the manner of adapting the latter for .use. i

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, there is shown the rear portion ofa motor veh cle A, including a specially constructed body 10 open at the top and provided with aplatform' 11, said platform and the side walls of the body being suitably cushioned as indicated at 12 'rmn-Eso; an arrann'rns.

I is ecificatictd tLettersP atent. 'l atentedflilta rl12,1918f Application filed ma 11,1916.-' seii'ai naeas io. 1

Journaled transversely ot ashaft 13 on which. is mounted a" Winding drum 14, said shaft having vone end extended outwardly of the body and squared as indicated at 15 for the reception of a crank 16 by whichthe drum 14 may be rotated. Secured at one end to the drum 14; is a length or strip of flexible material 17, and

this strip when in normal position is wound flat upon the drum as clearly shown in Figs.- 3 and l in which manner it may be conveniently transported from place to place as occasion demands. Provided on the longitudinal margins of the strip 17 are fastening devices 18 which may be of any desired construction and are arranged transversely in pairs for cooperation when disposing the escape in position for use. At the outer end of the strip 17 a ring 19 is suitably secured and provides an entrance opening 20 for the escape as will be subsequently apparent.

This ring 19 has further secured thereto a hook 21 for engagement with a window sill or other suitable support, to properly suspend the escape chute in its operative position. 7 I

To adapt the device for use the strip 17 i is unwound from the drum and elevated to the desired position by means of a rope, (not shown.) suitably attached to the ring 19 and thrown to an occupant of the building in which the fire is in progress. As the strip is unwound from the drum its longitudinal margins are brought together or folded in overlapped relation whereby successive pairs of fasteners may be quickly connected or assembled. Thus as the strip is elevated to the desired position on the 7 building, the Same is progressively amera .ed into a' tubular escape chute as indicated I iir-Figs'l and '2 in which the ring 19 pro vides the entrance opening While the exit thereof is adjacent the drum and is outlined thereby and by the divergent margins'of the strip below the last assembled fasteners. 4 In employing the device, the chute is assembled andpositioned' as'indicated-in Fig.

1 so that a person may readily enter the tube through thering 19 and be safely conveyed to the platform 11, the cushions 12 obviating possibility of injury as is evident.

What I- claim is 1 p ,A fire escape comprising in combination with a. support, a d'ruih rotatably mounted in the support, a strip-offlexible material vices along its longitudinal margins, and a ring secured to the free end of the fabric having means for attaching it to a, support,

said. flexible stri being. adapted-t0 be, un-

" Wound from the rum and foldable to over- 1e lap saidmargins' and 'eonn'eet said fastening devices whereby to provide a, continuous tubular chute of which's'aid ring constitutes the 'entrancefop'ening While its point of exit is across tho periphery of the drum.

In testimony whereof, I eifix my signa- 15 ture, in the presence of two witnesses.

HUBERT FLOEHR.

Witnesses:

DAN M. KINTNER} VIRGIL SQUIRE. 

